In a traditional firearm, the operator takes some action to load the firing pin (e.g., pulling a bolt) and to then release the firing pin to fire the weapon (e.g., pulling a trigger).
When a firearm is to be fired remotely, however, it can be more difficult to load the firing pin and to also ensure there is no inadvertent firing of the weapon due to jostling, impact, and the like.
This is especially true when the firearm is mounted on a remotely controlled mobile robot. In one specific example, a weapon such as a 40 mm grenade launcher is mounted on a robot platform such as Foster-Miller, Inc.'s (Waltham, Mass.) “Talon” robot. The robot can be maneuvered to a position remote from the operator and the grenade launcher fired. For safety reasons, it is important that the grenade launcher does not fire until so intended by the operator.